Release Date: 01/16/2004 (US)
Duration: 1h 51m
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Action
His shield made him a legend, and his bravery made him a hero.
Zatoichi is a blind nomad who makes a living as a gambler and masseur in the nineteenth century. He is, nevertheless, a master swordsman with a lightning-fast draw and stunning accuracy hidden underneath his modest exterior. Zatoichi finds a small mountain community at the hands of Ginzo, a brutal gang-leader, while wandering. Ginzo dispatches anyone who stands in his path, particularly after recruiting Hattori, a powerful samurai ronin, as a bodyguard. After a wild night of gambling in town, Zatoichi meets a pair of geishas who are as deadly as they are stunning and have come to avenge the murder of their parents. Ginzo’s henchmen are shortly after Zatoichi as the journeys of these and other lively characters intertwine. The scene is prepared for a thrilling confrontation with his iconic cane sword by his hand.